Hannah Krafcik and I are currently working on a multi-year performance project called The Swirl (working title). This work takes optical illusions as a conceptual line of inquiry, where "optics" do not simply refer to the function of sight, but rather to how something is perceived in many senses. Within this work we seek to condition our bodyminds to an infinitude of shifting vantages, playing with the ways that multiple meanings hide in plain view.

In many ways The Swirl is a reaction to the superimposed binaries and/or categories that hem us in. Binary options for political alignment—with one ideology and against another—preclude individual capacity to take in the complexity and nuance that might blur personal conviction. Through The Swirl, we are working with the notion of two bodies as a "set" (distinct entities with similarities and differences) rather than a binary or categorizable pair. In a set, qualities can converge and diverge, and differences can be present without existing in direct contrast. We think the paradigm of swirling sets that converge and diverge is a useful framing that can help disrupt the social violence that often accompanies imposed binaries and categories.

We are seeking opportunities in develop and present this work in an evening length format in 2025. Reach out if you are interested in supporting this work.